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Fantasy Commentator, v. 1, issue 9, Winter 1945-1946
Page 225
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FANTASY COMMENTATOR 225 instead of the January, 1937 one---so that its life was thus prolonged by a full year's time. In analyzing the man's contribution to the fan world of his time we find that it ranks second only to that of Conrad H. Ruppert. At their poorest and sloppiest Crawford's handiworks were a credit to the field; and his idealistic principles were unquestionably exemplary. But he was damned to failure by the crushing fact of being forever unable to reach his potential audience. Professional magazines would not run the advertisement of an obvious competitor---indeed, Weird Tales turned down one proferred by The Fantasy Fan; and, barring newsstand distribution (which Crawford could not afford), it was only through such a medium that he could hope to obtain adequate support. Aside from this, Crawford's publications are of interest as being the most ambitious of those created by fan dissatisfaction with the degenerating product of professional fantastic fiction extant during 1932-4. All such publications stemmed from the unwavering conviction of the fans that they were capable of doing a better job than the professionals; and their failure to achieve a permanent measure of success was due not to the fact that they were mistaken, but rather to an inability to master the mechanics of the productive medium. (Lloyd Arthur Eshbach, one of the associate editors of Marvel Tales, a prominent author in his own right, and a science-fiction fan and collector, is worthy of parenthetical note here because of his position as editor of an elite amateur journal, The Galleon. It is unfortunate that this journal was of a general type, for Eshbach showed good taste and excellent business acumen in its handling, and had it been devoted entirely to fantasy history might have been very different. However that may be, The Galleon is important from the viewpoint of fans by reason of two fantastic stories it printed: "The Quest of Iranon" (in the July-August, 1935 number) and "The Mist" (in the September-October, 1935 issue). The second was written by David H. Keller, and the latter, of H. P. Lovecraft's authorship, is the most beautiful story he ever wrote; Eshbach's publication undoubtedly rescued both from complete obscurity.) Operating behind the scenes during these times were private literary organizations of whose existence fandom at large was scarcely aware. One such group was The Calem Club of New York City, whose members included H. C. Koenig, H. P. Lovecraft, Frank Belknap Long, Jr., F. Morton, Samuel Loveman, and others, all drawn together through a mutual interest in fantasy. This was actually the nucleus of the Lovecraft circle which gained an ever-widening number of adherents throughout the country in the persona of such men as E. Hoffman Price, Farnsworth Wright, Robert Bloch, Henry Kuttner and August Derleth, becoming intimates who knew Lovecraft best. For a long time this circle held its meetings, somewhat aloof from fandom at large, and yet, possessing common cause with it, working in much the same manner. It was not until 1939, in fact, that its existence was expressly revealed. A similar organization calling itself The Outsiders Club was subsequently discovered to have been operating in Washington, D. C. A few of their meetings were attended by Jack Speer, who made the discovery; according to him, the members' interest was so strongly for supernatural fiction that they were prone to belittle and ridicule science-fiction as a whole. Because of this attitude it is to be doubted that they could ever have been smoothly assimilated by fandom in general. As a somewhat later date is Milwaukee, Wisconsin, there sprang into existence a group titling itself the Milwaukee Fictioneers. It was in the main composed of professional authors, formed for mutual exchange of ideas as well as for social reasons. By the time that its membership included Raymond A. Palmer, Stanely G. Weinbaum, Ralph Milne Farley, Robert Bloch and Lawrence Keating, however, a specialized slant became perceptible above the basis of generality. After Weinbaum's death, and more especially after Palmer's ascension to the editorial staff of Ziff-Davis Publishing Company as custodian of Amazing Stor-
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FANTASY COMMENTATOR 225 instead of the January, 1937 one---so that its life was thus prolonged by a full year's time. In analyzing the man's contribution to the fan world of his time we find that it ranks second only to that of Conrad H. Ruppert. At their poorest and sloppiest Crawford's handiworks were a credit to the field; and his idealistic principles were unquestionably exemplary. But he was damned to failure by the crushing fact of being forever unable to reach his potential audience. Professional magazines would not run the advertisement of an obvious competitor---indeed, Weird Tales turned down one proferred by The Fantasy Fan; and, barring newsstand distribution (which Crawford could not afford), it was only through such a medium that he could hope to obtain adequate support. Aside from this, Crawford's publications are of interest as being the most ambitious of those created by fan dissatisfaction with the degenerating product of professional fantastic fiction extant during 1932-4. All such publications stemmed from the unwavering conviction of the fans that they were capable of doing a better job than the professionals; and their failure to achieve a permanent measure of success was due not to the fact that they were mistaken, but rather to an inability to master the mechanics of the productive medium. (Lloyd Arthur Eshbach, one of the associate editors of Marvel Tales, a prominent author in his own right, and a science-fiction fan and collector, is worthy of parenthetical note here because of his position as editor of an elite amateur journal, The Galleon. It is unfortunate that this journal was of a general type, for Eshbach showed good taste and excellent business acumen in its handling, and had it been devoted entirely to fantasy history might have been very different. However that may be, The Galleon is important from the viewpoint of fans by reason of two fantastic stories it printed: "The Quest of Iranon" (in the July-August, 1935 number) and "The Mist" (in the September-October, 1935 issue). The second was written by David H. Keller, and the latter, of H. P. Lovecraft's authorship, is the most beautiful story he ever wrote; Eshbach's publication undoubtedly rescued both from complete obscurity.) Operating behind the scenes during these times were private literary organizations of whose existence fandom at large was scarcely aware. One such group was The Calem Club of New York City, whose members included H. C. Koenig, H. P. Lovecraft, Frank Belknap Long, Jr., F. Morton, Samuel Loveman, and others, all drawn together through a mutual interest in fantasy. This was actually the nucleus of the Lovecraft circle which gained an ever-widening number of adherents throughout the country in the persona of such men as E. Hoffman Price, Farnsworth Wright, Robert Bloch, Henry Kuttner and August Derleth, becoming intimates who knew Lovecraft best. For a long time this circle held its meetings, somewhat aloof from fandom at large, and yet, possessing common cause with it, working in much the same manner. It was not until 1939, in fact, that its existence was expressly revealed. A similar organization calling itself The Outsiders Club was subsequently discovered to have been operating in Washington, D. C. A few of their meetings were attended by Jack Speer, who made the discovery; according to him, the members' interest was so strongly for supernatural fiction that they were prone to belittle and ridicule science-fiction as a whole. Because of this attitude it is to be doubted that they could ever have been smoothly assimilated by fandom in general. As a somewhat later date is Milwaukee, Wisconsin, there sprang into existence a group titling itself the Milwaukee Fictioneers. It was in the main composed of professional authors, formed for mutual exchange of ideas as well as for social reasons. By the time that its membership included Raymond A. Palmer, Stanely G. Weinbaum, Ralph Milne Farley, Robert Bloch and Lawrence Keating, however, a specialized slant became perceptible above the basis of generality. After Weinbaum's death, and more especially after Palmer's ascension to the editorial staff of Ziff-Davis Publishing Company as custodian of Amazing Stor-
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